Get a Life
by ReJo
Summary: Lindsay’s tired of living in the prison she’s created for herself. She’s ready to get a life. [DL]
1. Chapter 1

**GET A LIFE**

Lindsay's tired of living in the prison she's created for herself. She's ready to get a life. Possible DL

I promised myself that I wouldn't write another "poor Lindsay" story – at least not for a while. This was a story that I started writing (about two months ago) and abandoned before I made that decision. It was abandoned because I couldn't make up my mind where I wanted this story to go. I decided to finish it because I had already completed five pages. Let me know what you think.

** CSI:NY **

**CHAPTER 1**

Lindsay had decided that she was going to live the rest of her life alone. Surprisingly, when she became tired of trying to overcome her past, she finally accepted that she would never get rid of her demons, and her nightmares went away. If she had known about this little trick earlier, she would never have pushed everyone away. She had managed to alienate everyone – her family, friends, and co-workers. Her days consisted of work, and her nights consisted of watching TV _alone_, eating _alone_, or going to a movie _alone_. This was her life. She didn't like it but she had made her bed and now she had to lie in it.

She faked having pride in her appearance. After all, who was she trying to attract? She did still have pride in her job, but she was not as passionate about it anymore; it wasn't enough. She wanted a social life, a real life, but she didn't know how to reconnect with people.

** CSI:NY **

"Good morning." Mac addressed his team of CSIs before he assigned them to cases. "We have a DB in Central Park. That's yours, Lindsay and Sheldon. Angell will meet you at the scene. There are two DBs in Lincolnshire Village, Stella and Danny. Flack will meet you there."

Mac gave them the exact locations of their crime scenes and they left his office. Lindsay and Hawkes walked together. He was the only one who still had a relationship of sorts with Lindsay.

When they got in the car, he decided to try to get her out of her shell.

"So, what's going on, Lindsay?"

"Same ol' same ol'. You know how it is."

"No, I don't know how it is. Tell me."

Lindsay looked at him knowing that he was trying to get her to have a deep and meaningful conversation with him - again.

"Nothing's going on. All of my days are the same, Hawkes."

"They don't have to be." He eyed her, knowing that she got the meaning.

Lindsay gave a half-hearted smile and said, "I know. It's just easier this way." _Liar._

"Easier for whom? It couldn't be easy for you. And I know it's not easy for the people who want to be close to you and can't. You're robbing a lot of people of the wonderful experience of getting to know you."

She chuckled. "Oh, really?"

"Really. You're a great and interesting person. You should let people know that."

"Thanks for the advice, Hawkes. I'll keep that in mind."

He knew that she was brushing him off and attempting to end the conversation. He made one more attempt to get her out of her funk, knowing that it was futile.

"The gang's going out tonight. Why don't you join us for drinks? It's on me."

She was tired of repeating the same old line, but she couldn't help herself. "As tempting as it is, I'm going to have to pass."

Hawkes raised a brow at her. "You _have to_ pass?"

"Yes, I have a lot of paperwork to finish and it'll take me until tonight. Mac wants it finished ASAP."

"Suppose I help you with it…"

"_Sheldon,"_ she whined. Since she used his first name, he knew that she was fed up with his line of questioning.

"Just asking. You're off tomorrow, right? Suppose I come over and we watch a movie or something." He looked at her as her resolve began to crumble. She sighed and looked at him.

"Raincheck? Next week, I promise."

He wagged a finger at her and said with a smile, "I'm going to hold you to that."

** CSI:NY **

When Lindsay and Hawkes made it back, they brought their evidence to the lab to be processed. Her partner took pity on her and decided to let her get started on her mountain of paperwork while he began processing. A few hours later she was close to finishing up when she realized that it was time to go home. This was the worst part of her day. As aloof as she was with her coworkers, she did not relish going home to her empty apartment. When she realized what time it was, she became emotional. _Don't cry, Lindsay, don't cry. You're at work. You can't cry._ The tears began streaming down her face.

Danny entered their office, and before he looked at her, he heard her sniffle. When he looked at her, he saw her wiping her eyes and he became concerned.

"What's wrong, Lindsay?" he asked, knowing that he wouldn't get a straight answer.

"Allergies," was all she managed to say, her voice faltering.

Danny didn't buy it for a second, but he didn't want to push it. "Ooookay."

Lindsay wiped her eyes again and made her way to her locker so that she could go home - alone.

** CSI:NY **

Lindsay decided to stop at a bar close to her apartment before heading home. She found a dimly-lit corner booth and planted herself there. This was her favorite spot to unwind because nobody could see or hear her there. She ordered a beer, which was to be her companion for the night. After she had drunk a few, her pity party was in full swing and she was unable to hold in her emotions. With her head resting on her arms, which were on the table, she sobbed uncontrollably, thinking of her sad and lonely life.

Lindsay felt the presence of someone sitting down next to her. She didn't look up until she felt a hand wrap around her shoulder. Startled, she lifted her head to see who was touching her without permission. _Danny_. _How did he know I was here?_

"What are you doing here, Danny?" The look on her face and the tone of her voice told him that she was not happy to see him.

"I come here sometimes to unwind after work." He paused. "You might need to get a shot for those allergies, Montana."

Lindsay didn't say anything. She just put her head back on the table.

After a while he asked, "Is this what you do everyday after work?"

"No," was her muffled reply.

"You know that I can't leave you in here like this."

"Go away, Danny."

He whispered, "Montana, I'm pretty sure you're drunk, so I'm not leaving here without you. I'm going to walk you back to your place." He threw a few bills on the table to cover their drinks and a tip.

Lindsay knew that she had no choice in the matter. She peeled herself from the booth and Danny was her support as she hobbled out of the bar. She was too drunk to notice all of the stares she got from the other patrons. She looked like a lush who had to be dragged out of bars by her loved ones.

The night air hit her and sobered her up a bit and she was OK walking on her own. She and Danny walked in silence to her apartment. When they arrived to the front door he held out his hand for her keys. She dug in her purse and gave them to him and he let them in. She led the way to her apartment and he unlocked that door and they both entered. He shut the door and locked it while Lindsay walked to the couch and plopped down, still a little hazy. Danny made his way to the kitchen to fix her some coffee, and as the coffee maker worked, he joined her on the couch. He stared at her until she could no longer take his staring, at which point she curtly asked, "What?"

"I don't know what happened to you, Lindsay. Did New York do this to you?"

Her tears began to fall again and she mouthed, "No."

"Did Montana do this to you?"

"No."

"Did I do this to you, or work?"

"No. _I _did this to myself, Danny." She looked him in the eyes for the first time and moved closer to him. "Danny…I'm not good at sharing my feelings or talking about my problems."

_No kidding_, Danny thought.

"When I became overwhelmed, I shut down emotionally. I couldn't let anyone in."

"Is that working for you, Lindsay?"

Her eyes left his and focused on her hands which were playing with a tassel on one of her throw pillows. "No. I _know_ that it's not working for me. I've boxed myself into a corner and I can't get out." She rubbed her face with her hands. "I'm so miserable and I don't know how not to be miserable. I've pushed everyone away, and now that I've gotten some things figured out, I'm all alone. This really sucks." She chuckled, which made him smile. "I used to be able to hide myself in my job, but now I don't have anything to hide from and it's too late to…"

"It's never too late. You're alone because you want to be. You wanted space, we gave you space. Don't be ashamed because you needed time to work things out. We've all needed time. And you don't have to share all of your personal business with everyone. Do you think Mac knows everything about me? Do you think I know everything about Stella? And who knows what Sid does in his spare time?" They both smiled.

"If you're ready to rejoin the living, you're always welcome."

"Are you saying I'm with the dead?" she said with a grin.

"Would you say you've been living?"

Lindsay shook her head.

"Any time you're ready, Montana."

He could tell by the look on her face and by her demeanor that she was, in fact, ready. She was visibly relaxed and seemed open to the idea of enjoying his company.

"I'm going to have some hangover tomorrow. Thank goodness I'm off."

Danny chuckled. "What are your plans?"

"Hawkes said he wanted to come over and watch a movie, but I gave him a rain check for next week. I should probably give him a call. He's been so worried about me; he refuses to give up on me."

Danny looked at her with a smile. "Give him a call and we can all do something together tomorrow. Okay?"

She couldn't help but smile. "Okay."

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

**GET A LIFE**

Lindsay's tired of living in the prison she's created for herself. She's ready to get a life. Possible DL

** CSI:NY **

**CHAPTER 2**

Lindsay picked up her phone and hit number 3 on her speed dial.

"_Hawkes."_

"Hey, it's Lindsay. I was wondering if you still want to come over to watch a movie tomorrow."

"_Wait a minute. I must've missed the news report about hell freezing over…"_

"Haha, Hawkes. Are you up for it or not?" He did not miss the sarcasm or the slurred speech, but he thought it was best not to mention either.

"_Oh, I'm definitely up for it, Lindsay. What time?"_

"That's up to you. I'm off and I have nowhere to go. Oh, and Danny will be joining us."

"_Oh, really? Hmmm. I'm free all day, so how about making a day of it? We'll just hang out until we get sick of each other. I'll come over tomorrow morning – whenever. Okay?"_

"Sounds like a plan. See you in the morning. 'Night."

"_Goodnight."_

Lindsay closed her phone and turned to Danny. "Danny, Hawkes and I are going to make a day of it, so he's coming over whenever he gets up and gets dressed. You can join us for however long you want to."

"Sounds good. Now for the most important question: What movies are we going to watch? 'Cause I am **not** watching any girly movies." He had an indignant look on his face.

Lindsay sighed and rolled her eyes dramatically. "Why don't **you** bring some movies over? That way you have only yourself to blame if it's too touchy-feely."

Danny rose from the couch as he responded, "That'll work. I'd better get going." He walked toward the door. "See you tomorrow."

Lindsay unlocked and opened the door for him. She bid him good night and shut the door behind him.

Was it really that easy to foray into the world of the living? Lindsay was quite pleased with the way her day turned out. She had two friends to lift her out of the depths of despair that she had voluntarily sunken into.

When she went into her bathroom to shower and brush her teeth, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She actually had a grin on her face. She couldn't remember the last time she looked content. She showered, brushed her teeth, and got ready for bed. The first few minutes in bed were spent thinking about how her day, no, her **life** turned around so quickly. She slept restfully that night, impatient for what the next day had in store for her. The alcohol didn't hurt either.

** CSI:NY **

Hawkes began to wonder if Lindsay had chickened out on him. He had been knocking for a while, wondering if her neighbors were going to turn on him. He took his phone out of his pocket and dialed her number.

Lindsay heard the chime of her phone, but, as she was awakened from her slumber, she didn't know what the noise was. Her head was throbbing and heavy; her stomach wasn't feeling too hot either. The noise stopped. _Thank goodness._ Then it started again. This time, she recognized the noise as the chime of her phone and reached for it. Her head was still under her pillow, but she brought the phone to her ear.

"Greph."

"_Lindsay?"_

"Mmmgreph."

"_Lindsay, open up. It's Hawkes."_

Silence.

"_Lindsay, I know you're hung over, but I need you to open the door for me."_

"Huh?"

"_Get up and open the door, Lindsay."_

She finally realized where she was, and the plans she had made the preceding night entered her mind. _Not a good idea to plan to socialize the morning after a night of hard drinking._

She closed the phone and, holding her pillow to the front of her face, navigated her way to the front door to let Hawkes in

"Lindsay? You alright?"

She didn't answer, but turned around and headed back to her bedroom and closed the door. After a few minutes Hawkes realized that she probably wasn't coming out, so he knocked on her door and entered without waiting for a response. Lindsay was sprawled out on the bed, immobilized. He wasn't wasting his off day, so he decided to get her up.

"LINDSAY!!" he hollered.

"I'm up. Gimme a minute."

"No more minutes. Rise and shine!"

She whined at his insistence on getting out of the bed at whatever ungodly hour it was. "What time is it?"

"Ten o'clock."

"_Ten o'clock?_" She exhaled heavily and peeled the pillow from her face. The light from the window assaulted her sensitive eyes and she silently vowed to never get drunk again.

She propped herself up slowly, and then turned to sit up on the edge of the bed.

Hawkes laughed at the sight of her. "Wow, Lindsay. You look **bad**."

She shot him a very confused look and rubbed her eyes.

"Why don't you get dressed while I make some coffee?"

"Coffee," she grumbled.

Hawkes left the room, all the while laughing at the sight he had just witnessed.

The coffee had just finished brewing when Lindsay appeared in the kitchen ready to partake of it. He poured them both a cup and offered her sugar and cream, which she declined. They made their way back into the living room and sat on the couch.

He put his arm around her and asked, "So, what changed your mind about today? And how did Messer get involved?"

"Danny found me at a bar last night drowning my sorrows. He walked me home and we talked for a while. I guess between the two of you I realized that I wouldn't be sacrificing anything if I reached out to the people who are reaching out to me." She looked him squarely in the eyes. "Thank you, Sheldon."

"My pleasure, Lindsay. I've got to say that I wasn't expecting your call last night. When you told me that you didn't want to spend the day with me I thought that was the last I was going to hear of it." Smirking, he said, "I'm happy you called."

"I'm happy I called too. Otherwise," she said, giving him a glare, "I might have gotten enough sleep today!"

"Well, nobody told you to get drunk last night." They both laughed and relaxed.

Hawkes got up and picked up a DVD. "So, you like Pacino?"

Lindsay squinted to see the title of the movie. _Scarface_.

She said, "Say hello to my little friend." They broke into hysterics. Just then there was a knock on the door.

"Must be Danny." Hawkes rose to answer the door and let Danny in.

"Hey, man."

"Hey. Is she sober yet?"

"Man, she must have been passed out when I got here. Had me waiting outside for an hour. The neighbors called the cops and…"

"And she's sitting right here, thank you," Lindsay interrupted firmly, which made the guys laugh heartily.

"Hey, Montana." Danny looked at the movies on the coffee table and asked, "What we got?"

Sheldon answered, "Scarface. You like Pacino?"

"Sure. I told Lindsay I didn't want any girly movies. I brought some too, but this is fine." He sat on the couch and turned to Lindsay. "See all you've been missing, Montana? When was the last time you had this kind of stimulating conversation?" he asked with a smile.

Lindsay pretended to think very hard. "Probably when you brought your dog to the lab."

"Awww, Montana. That hurts."

Hawkes interrupted them, "Okay, it's on." He took his place on the couch beside Lindsay and the three friends watched the movies and spoke the lines of their favorite parts.

** CSI:NY **

After watching every "guy" movie ever made and ordering from every takeout place in Manhattan, Hawkes made a proposal.

"How about we go out on the town tonight? I know this club that has a little something for everybody. And who knows? Since Ms. Monroe is turning over a new leaf, she might just get lucky."

Lindsay rolled her eyes at him and shook her head. "One thing at a time, Sheldon."

"Alright. Well, I'll be the designated Lindsay-sitter. I will refrain from picking up any women so that I can give you my full attention. How about that?"

Lindsay started to like all of the special attention she was getting, but she didn't want to put a damper on Hawkes' night out. "I don't need a sitter. I'll be fine. I'll just bring a book to read and…" The rest of her sentence could not be heard over the laughter of her friends.

"What? I have to start off slowly. Do you know the last time I was in a club?"

"You're going to read a book at a club? I knew you were square, but come on, Lindsay," Danny retorted.

"Is there something wrong with reading?"

"Reading, no. Reading at a club, yes."

"Get dressed Montana, and leave your books at home."

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

**GET A LIFE**

**Lindsay's tired of living in the prison she's created for herself. She's ready to get a life. Possible DL**

**A/N:** I really appreciate the reviews I have received. They are really helping to shape this story!! Here's a secret: I've never been to a club, so I hope I get this part right. Believe it or not, I'm so sheltered that I don't know how guys come on to women. I'm making it up as I go along. (Yes, I'm married, but VERY sheltered.) I don't know what that initial getting-to-know you conversation is supposed to be like. In short, I suck. This chapter might too. Let me know. I am open to constructive criticism!

Oh, I got tired of referring to Sheldon as 'Hawkes', so I switched over to 'Sheldon' because I use most of the characters' first names.

** CSI:NY **

**CHAPTER 3**

The second Lindsay locked her door she knew she had made a mistake agreeing to go to a club. She realized that the only reason she agreed to go was because she didn't want to spend her evening alone. She still found herself fighting the urge to hole herself up in a dark corner, which is why they sat at a dark corner table when they arrived at their destination. Sheldon paid her cover charge and Danny promised that all drinks were on him. They knew that getting her to dance would be next to impossible, so their focus for the night would be to get Lindsay to relax.

While they were sitting at their table talking and drinking (Lindsay refused to touch any more liquor, so she only had soft drinks), Sheldon eyed a man a few tables away who was stealing glances at Lindsay. He tilted his head in her direction to let the guy know that she was available and that he should come over. The man gave a soft smile, rose from his chair, and made his way over to their table.

Sheldon whispered, moving his lips as little as possible, "Incoming, 3:00."

Lindsay looked over expecting to see a desperate female ready to throw herself at either of her male companions. Instead she met the gaze of a handsome man who was approaching her with a confident, but not cocky, walk. He had dark brown hair and beautiful eyes, the color of which could not be determined in the dimly lit room. Lindsay looked at Sheldon and Danny with a very confused look. Sheldon looked very amused, while Danny eyed the guy suspiciously.

The would-be suitor spoke. "Hi, I'm Denny." He briefly acknowledged the two men flanking Lindsay to make sure that he wasn't about to get a beat down for asking a woman to dance.

Danny greeted him as he nodded in Denny's direction. "How ya doing?" He did not seem threatening, so Denny looked at Lindsay and asked, "Care to dance?"

Sheldon could not control his laughter when he looked at Lindsay's face. She went from being confused to horrified in two seconds, as was indicated by how far her eyes bulged from their sockets. This was not lost on Denny.

"Just one dance," he implored. He paused while she remained silent and he looked back to his friends at the table he had just left. They were looking at him expectantly. He again looked at Lindsay. "Please don't make me go back to my table with my tail between my legs."

Lindsay's face relaxed into a smile. Of all of the scenarios that she had played out in her mind, all of which scared her to pieces, she never envisioned this one. She had Danny to her right and Denny to her left, both waiting for her reply. She knew that Danny had given up waiting for her and had resumed dating, though very casually, but she still felt awkward accepting Denny's proposition with Danny looking on. She knew that he still cared for her, but obviously not in that way, so she didn't want to get hung up on that line of thinking. What really scared her was the thought of dancing in public after all of this time; that was not on her agenda for the evening. She wanted to _ease_ back into the social scene. There was nothing _easy_ about getting hot and sweaty in the middle of a crowd with a strange man.

She finally made up her mind: No, she wouldn't dance with him, but yes, she would let him buy her a drink. She looked up at him and said, "I'm not here to dance tonight, but I could use another drink." She was going to need a shower when she got home because her anxiety level was at an all-time high, and her palms were not the only sweaty part of her body. She rose from her chair while she grinned at Sheldon and made her way over to the bar with Denny.

Danny shifted in his seat a bit, knowing that he had no claims on her, and that by the fact that he had begun dating again, he let her know that she _should_ move on with her life. In the end, he just wanted her to be happy. He couldn't make sustained eye contact with Sheldon because he was too busy trying to make sure he knew that he wasn't bothered.

Sheldon seemed to catch his inner turmoil anyway. "You alright, man?"

"Yeah." He took a swig of his beer. "I'm just hoping we haven't created a monster."

"A monster? The guy's just buying her drinks, Danny."

"I know, I know. I worry about her, that's all."

"We _all_ do. I'm glad that she decided to come out tonight. She was a bit too closed-off from the world. At least she's trying to get back out there. She's come a long way in 24 hours, don't you think?"

"I don't _think,_ I _know."_

"She's an amazing woman who deserves someone to make her happy – or at least _keep_ her happy."

Danny couldn't help but think, _that someone should have been me._

**CSI:NY**

After the initial introductions had been made, Denny leaned into Lindsay slightly, showing her that she had his full attention.

"So, what exactly does a CSI do?"

"We collect evidence at crime scenes and process them in a lab to find the bad guys and hopefully put them away for a long time. In our lab, most CSIs are also cops."

He nodded his head. "You're a scientist and a cop? That's quite amazing. What's the most interesting case you've come across?"

Lindsay and Denny talked about work and their backgrounds. He was a corporate attorney who originally hailed from Iowa. They found that they were both from small towns and had dreamed of making it in New York. They both had a very strong work ethic that allowed them to make their dreams a reality. Neither had much time for a social life due to their jobs, but they would not change a thing.

Lindsay noticed that Sheldon and Danny alternated abandoning their table in order to dance with a couple of women who had approached them.

_Why couldn't it have been this easy with Danny? Oh, that's right – my issues._

Later on, she saw them sitting at the table lifting their wrists to look their watches, dramatically signaling that they were ready to leave.

Lindsay was surprised that she felt a little disappointed to be taking her leave of her new friend, but she said goodnight and they exchanged cards, wondering how soon was too soon to call the other.

**CSI:NY**

Lindsay swaggered back to her boys with a grin on her face, her eyes dancing. Sheldon couldn't wait to hear all about her dalliance, and Danny was mildly curious.

"So, Ms. Monroe, I thought I was going to have to drag you out of here."

"Sheldon, he's a nice guy."

"Did I see you exchange contact information?"

"Yeeeess, you did."

Danny piped in, "Good, we can run him to make sure he's clean."

Lindsay threw him a warning look and Sheldon shook his head and said, "He's right Linds. We have the tools; we might as well use them."

And Lindsay thought she had left her overprotective brothers in Montana.

**CSI:NY**

A/N: I almost named the new guy Danny, but I thought that would get confusing. If there was a good way to keep it straight, it would have added a lot of spice to the story line. I settled for Denny.


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters of CSI:NY. I only tag the cute ones for migratory purposes.**

Just to get it out of the way, YES, this is a DL fic. At first I didn't know the direction of the story, but I know where it's going now. PLEASE bear with me for a little while longer. I can't take too much angst either!

THANK YOU for reading and reviewing!

**CHAPTER 4**

**CSI:NY**

The previous night might have surpassed Lindsay's expectations, but it didn't make getting out of bed to go to work any easier. As usual, she cursed the alarm clock because it did its job, and hit the snooze button – twice. Therefore, it was no surprise that she was behind schedule leaving for work.

**CSI:NY**

Inside the lab, Lindsay rounded the corner and entered Mac's office. By the look on Sheldon's face, Lindsay knew she was about to be outted to her coworkers who were gathered in the office if she hadn't been already. She gave him a warning look, although she knew that her fate was sealed. _How, in the course of two days, have I been pushed into so many awkward situations?_

"Good morning, Ms. Monroe!" Sheldon called out. All eyes were now on Lindsay, but she tried not to make eye contact with anyone.

"Good morning, everyone," she said quietly.

The team greeted her and paused to allow Sheldon to continue. They knew that he was up to something; their silence didn't do a thing to hide their nosey nature.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you're a little late, seeing how Danny and I had to drag you out of that club last night," he teased.

Lindsay turned red and fought the temptation to run out of the room. Her embarrassment only allowed her eyes to skim the floor. The silence was shattered by the sound of her cell phone ringing. She looked at the caller ID and made the quick decision to ignore it.

Stella said with a smirk, "Don't mind us. Answer it."

Two more rings went by before Lindsay answered her phone. _Thank goodness they can only hear my end of the conversation._

"Hi…. I'm at work…. No, it's no problem…. Sure, I can…. Seven o'clock is fine…. Where? Yeah, I think I know where it is…. Okay…. See you then…. Goodbye."

She could not take the silence anymore, so she put on a very determined look and allowed her eyes to meet Mac's. Mac, needing to get his meeting back on track said, "Ooookay. A gas station robbery with two DBs – Danny and Lindsay. Stella and Sheldon, there's a DB on Main Street." He handed them their information sheets. "Danny and Lindsay, if it seems as if you're going to have a lot to process, let me know. I'll have a lab tech bring it back to the lab. Oh, and Lindsay?"

"Yes?"

"You're on duty now. No more picking up guys at bars. It'll make the lab look bad."

Everybody laughed except for Lindsay, who hurried out of the office in order to escape her colleagues' laughter, especially since her embarrassment was evident on her face.

"Yo, Montana! Wait up! You're leaving your partner!" Danny shouted as Lindsay hurried to the elevator.

**CSI:NY**

Sheldon and Stella stayed behind in Mac's office for a few minutes.

"Are you serious? Lindsay really went to a club with you and Danny and then picked up a guy?" Stella couldn't believe Sheldon's tale of the previous night. "_Our_ Lindsay? The one who barely speaks to us if it's not case-related, and won't go out for a drink with us anymore?"

Sheldon nodded as if to say, _Yep, that's the one._

"Once we talked her out of bringing a book with her, it wasn't so bad. She obviously hadn't been out in a long time. I think she just didn't know how to get started again after shutting out everyone for so long. When I saw Denny looking at her…"

"Wait a minute! His name is _Denny_? How does Danny feel about all of this?"

Sheldon shrugged. "He didn't say much. You have to ask him about that. All that I know is that she was positively glowing by the time we left. If Danny's gonna make a move, he'd better do it quickly." With that, Sheldon turned and walked out with Stella close behind him.

**CSI:NY**

"So where are you and this Denny headed to tonight?" Danny tried to sound as if he was just making small talk.

"Roberto's. Have you heard of it?"

"Yeah. Not too far from here. Good food." He tried to form his next sentence carefully. "Soooo…you're going out with him alone. You're meeting him there, right? I mean he's not going to your apartment or anything like that? 'Cause I know you really like him, but you just met him."

"Are you worried about me, Danny?" Lindsay asked with a smile.

"Of course. Friends worry about each other, right?"

"I guess so."

"Why don't we go on a double date? I'll call Bridget and the four of us can have a relaxed evening together." He tried to find the answer to his question on her face. He saw that she was struggling with this idea. _Is it because she wants to be alone with Denny or because she doesn't want to see me with Bridget?_

Lindsay didn't know how to respond to Danny's proposal. Before she thought about it too much she said, "Okay. We're going to Roberto's at 7. _Be on time, Messer!_"

_Anything for a friend_.

**CSI:NY**

Denny was not very happy that he would have to share Lindsay with people whom he didn't know, but he wanted to spend time with Lindsay, so he agreed.

He arrived at Roberto's at 6:50 to make sure they didn't lose their reservation. He was a very organized man and did not like to leave anything to chance. That was why he was such a successful litigator. Even at his home, everything had its place. That's what attracted him to Lindsay – she seemed like she could fit perfectly into his life. She was so sweet and he could see introducing her to his family.

He looked at his watch, and when he looked up, he saw Lindsay enter looking as beautiful as ever. A smile stretched across his face as he stood to greet her. He gave his name to the hostess and told her that they were expecting two more people in their party. They were seated at a center table and only had a couple of minutes to themselves before Danny showed up with his date.

Denny rose from his seat and offered his hand to Danny, as they all exchanged greetings, and then there was an uncomfortable silence. Danny decided that he had to break it.

"So, Montana, I haven't seen you in a dress in a long time. You trying to impress somebody?" Bridget elbowed him in the side and looked uncomfortable and confused, as did Denny.

"Not you, Messer. And don't call me _Montana,_" she said through clenched teeth while glaring at him.

Danny noticed all of the glares and innocently asked, "What?"

Fortunately, they all eventually relaxed and Danny stopped trying to embarrass Lindsay. Denny turned out to be an almost interesting person, but Lindsay figured that with Danny always putting himself in the spotlight, it was hard for anyone else to shine. Everything went well until the end.

"Some wine for the lady?" the waiter asked Lindsay.

As usual, Danny took the lead. "White wine for her, a beer for me, and," he turned to Bridget, "What do you want?"

"Nothing for me, thanks," she replied ungraciously.

"And you, Denny?"

"I've had enough, thanks."

Lindsay knew that he had crossed the line, so when her wine was poured she gulped it down and announced that she and Denny were leaving.

"I've had a great time. We have to do this again," Danny said with a smile, oblivious to the glares he incurred from his companions.

**CSI:NY**

He heard her before he saw her – the sound of her feet pounding on the corridor floor sounded like a herd of mustangs running. The sad thing was that even though he heard her coming, Danny didn't see _it_ coming – _it_ was Hurricane Lindsay.

"Daniel Messer! I need to talk to you!" she yelled as she entered the break room.

"Hey, Montana. What's up?"

"_What's_ up? _What's_ up? You talk me into going on a double date with you and your, your _Bridget_, and you embarrass me in front of _my_ date, and you're asking me _what's up_? Are you that slow?"

Danny actually seemed surprised at her rant. "How did I embarrass you? I thought we had a perfectly _lovely_ night."

"Oh, let me count the ways: First you call me _Montana_, then you ask me if I'm trying to impress someone, and lastly, you ordered wine for me. You were trying to prove that you knew me better than Denny did. I'm sure that made _Bridget_ feel really special."

"I always call you Montana! I must have called you that a hundred times that day, and I always compliment you. What's wrong with that? I just ordered you some wine; I do that every time we go out." Lindsay cocked her head to the side and looked at him as if she was going to kill him. "I thought we were hanging out. I was just trying to make you feel comfortable. I know how first dates can be…"

Lindsay was obviously trying to restrain herself. Her voice was low but strained. "Danny, thank you for your concern, but you don't have to worry about me anymore. From now on, I can handle all of my first dates on my own." She turned and walked away from him.

Unfortunately for Danny, Stella overheard the whole conversation and when their eyes met, he knew he was going to have to participate in the interactive version of "Danny Messer's Love Life According to Stella Bonasera."

Stella shook her head, trying to figure out where to begin. "Danny, we need to talk."

Danny groaned and closed his eyes.

"You might as well have a seat because this is going to take a while." They sat down across from each other and Stella looked at him sadly.

"Danny, am I right in saying that last night's double date was a flop?"

He nodded his head. "To put it nicely, yes."

"Do you know what went wrong?"

"I don't, but I guess you're going to tell me."

"And you're right. What went wrong was that you were just being yourself with Lindsay."

"And that's wrong how?" He was quite confused now.

"It was wrong because you and Lindsay were on a date…WITH OTHER PEOPLE! You just flirted with her as usual in front of your date and hers and expected everyone to be okay with it." She leaned in closer and lowered her voice, "You don't know how _not_ to put Lindsay first, do you? It's just in your nature. You call her by a pet name, you teased her, you ordered wine for her. That's what a _boyfriend _does – that was Denny's job. I know you didn't plan on ruining your dates, but you did. You're going to have to step up to the plate or move on _for real_ this time. Otherwise, you'll run the risk of losing her for good." They stared at each other while Danny let her words sink in.

"Stella, you're right. I guess I don't know how not to put Lindsay first." He put his head back and closed his eyes. "I thought I had come to terms with the fact that Lindsay and I probably won't ever be together. That's why I started dating again." He brought his head down and opened his eyes. "If I still thought there was a chance I would have waited for her. I'm trying to move on."

"Danny, dating and moving on are two different things. Yes, you've started dating, but you've never gotten into a serious relationship and you won't as long as you're holding out for the one woman who still has a hold on your heart. Whether you admit it or not, you're still waiting for her to come back to you. I think you'd get a lot further if you admit it to yourself and to Lindsay. You have nothing to lose."

"Stella, we've just gotten to the point where we can hang out as friends, and I'm not ready to give that up. Maybe later I'll tell her how I really feel, but I'm not going to rush it."

"So what's this, Messer? Your one-year plan or your two-year plan? My way is much quicker. Don't wait until it's too late." She rose from her seat and made her way to the doorway. "Think about it."

**CSI:NY**

"Aaaaah! _Who is that?"_ Lindsay had just sat down to eat the sandwich she had made when there was a persistent knock at her door. She got up, walked over to her door, and looked out the peephole. She opened the door with a smile.

"Hi, Danny."

Her good mood caught him off guard, but he proceeded with his apology.

"I'm sorry." He extended some flowers to her. "Here, these are for you."

She continued smiling as she accepted them. "Thanks."

"Can I come in?"

"I don't know, _can_ you?" She turned to walk to her sofa.

Danny smiled and followed her into her apartment.

"I want to apologize for the way I acted the night we went out. I should have shown more respect to you, and to Denny, and my date. I'm sorry."

Lindsay looked at him with a smirk. "Apology accepted."

**FLASHBACK**

_Lindsay was mad at Danny and he occupied her thoughts for most of the day. Why was last night such a nightmare? And why did the fact that she found him more interesting than Denny make her madder? This was something she'd have to figure out. If only she had someone to talk to…_

"_Hey, Linds. Everything alright?" Stella asked, noticing the distracted look on Lindsay's face._

_Lindsay shrugged. "I guess so."_

"_Liar." They both chuckled. "What's up?"_

_Lindsay tried to find the right words to start. She was surprised that after all of this time Stella still wanted to be friends with her, and she didn't really want their first conversation to be a Dear Stella… moment. _

"_I don't want to bore you with the details."_

"_If it has to do with that hot guy you just met, believe me, I won't be bored." Her face showed how eager she was for Lindsay to spill her guts._

"_I'm kind of confused. I'm trying to work through some things." _

"_We're both off now; let's lock ourselves in the morgue office and talk."_

"_Ugh!" Lindsay made a face._

"_I know, but it's the only private office in this place."_

_They entered the morgue office and Stella was so hungry for gossip that as soon as the door shut she turned to Lindsay and said, "Talk."_

"_I don't know where to start."_

"_I'll tell you what I know: You and Danny went on a double date. He managed to make you, your date, and his date mad by flirting with you, which is what he's done since day one, but this time since you were on separate dates, it really upset you. But it didn't upset you before. Why is that? Because you liked it – until last night."_

_She looked at Lindsay, who was shocked that Stella had such clarity. She was right - Danny was just being himself at dinner last night. He wasn't _trying_ to be an ass; he's one everyday to everybody, and she usually liked it. _

"_Furthermore, Danny only flirts with you because he likes – no, dare I say – _loves_ you, and you love him, but you're both in denial. Have I left anything out?" Not waiting for a reply she said, "By the way, I find it odd that your new boyfriend's name is Denny, which is so close to Danny. Freud would have a field day with that one."_

_Silence._

"_Linds?"_

_Silence._

"_You alright, Linds?"_

_Silence._

"_Stell, I really have to go!" She got up and left as quickly as she could and headed home. _

**END OF FLASHBACK**

"So, did you come over just to apologize, or do you want to hang out for a bit? I was just about to eat, if you want to fix yourself a sandwich. There's a game on if you want to watch it."

"Sounds good to me." He was surprised that she was so receptive to him.

Danny, feeling at home, went to the kitchen and made a sandwich before returning to the living room to watch the game. Stella's words reverberated in his head. He wondered if hanging out with Lindsay as friends would be enough for him. He hoped so, because that seemed to be all she was offering him, and he wasn't about to jeopardize what they had, though he was still curious…

"No plans with Denny?

"No, he's out of town on business."

"Are you using me, Montana – I mean, Lindsay – for entertainment while he's away?" he teased.

"_I_ didn't invite you over, Danny. You invited yourself over. Besides, why aren't you with Bridget today?"

"Bridget and I are no longer together," he said matter-of-factly.

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that. Did it have to do with last night?"

He chuckled. "What do you think?"

The tension from the previous night seemed to have dissipated and they enjoyed their time together. During a commercial break, Lindsay felt it was time to apologize for her part in the previous night's fiasco.

"Danny?"

"Yeah." He looked at her.

"I…I want to…you're not the only one who should apologize for last night. I owe you an apology, too," she said shyly.

Danny could not believe his ears. "For what?"

"For overreacting. You were just being yourself, and I don't know why that bothered me, but it did, and I'm sorry. I don't ever want you to change, and you shouldn't have to change for anyone. Okay?"

He grinned. "Okay, _Montana_."

They laughed and pretended to be interested in the game when it came back on.

**TBC**


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters of CSI: NY. I only tag the cute ones for migratory purposes.**

Oh, my goodness! The season finale was THE BOMB!!! (Does anybody say that anymore?)

You know what they say – you can't please all the people all the time? I was in a bit of a quandary because I'm reading opposing feedback. There is the 'get rid of Denny NOW' feedback, and the 'drag this Denny thing out a bit longer' feedback. _I'm trying to make everyone happy and it's driving me crazy! _Just kidding. I _think_ I've found a happy medium. Let me know what you think!

**CSI: NY**

**CHAPTER 5**

Lindsay stared at her computer when she was startled by the zap of her phone's vibration. She flipped it open.

"Monroe."

"_Good morning, Lindsay."_

"Hi, Denny. You're calling early."

"_I just wanted to hear your voice to get my day started off right."_

She smiled brightly. "Glad to be of service."

"_Do you want to grab lunch today?"_

"Do you even have to ask?"

Just then, Danny entered the room being loud as usual. "Morning, Montana! What's up?"

"_I guess that's Danny making his presence known."_ Lindsay didn't miss the bitterness in his voice but chose to ignore it.

"Mmhmm. I don't know how he wakes up with so much energy."

"_I'm sure I don't want to know."_

"Get off the phone, Montana, we have a case. I'll pull the car around. Meet me outside."

"Danny, ummm, Denny, I have to go…"

"_I heard. He's pulling the car around. See you at lunch."_

Denny hung up abruptly.

**CSI: NY**

They made it back to the lab right at lunch time, just as Danny's stomach grumbled with hunger. "Montana, want to get lunch?" The day was progressing very slowly so they actually had time to take a full lunch.

"No, I have plans. Sorry." She looked at Danny apologetically. "Denny just got back in town and we're going to the café around the corner. Want to join us?" She asked the question mindlessly without thinking about the repercussions.

"No. You two go on. I'll catch up with Flack." He tried to hide his disappointment, but he knew that he was transparent. She, on the other hand, was relieved.

**CSI: NY**

Flack and Danny went to a nearby restaurant.

"So, what's up with Lindsay and this Denny guy?"

Danny shrugged. He did _not_ want to talk about this. "Gotta ask her about it."

"I saw her leaving the building with a guy. That him?"

Danny nodded with his mouth full of food and did not make eye contact, so as not to encourage further conversation.

"You alright with this?"

Danny swallowed. "Flack, what's there to be alright with? Montana and I are friends – that's it. She has her dates and I have mine, and ne'er the twain shall meet – again."

Flack knew Danny was lying and he also knew that he didn't want to continue the conversation, but he just couldn't help himself.

"Yeah, about that. I heard about your double date. Not exactly your brightest moment, was it?"

Danny was quite perturbed, but he made sure to keep his voice low, "I apologized to Montana already and she apologized to me."

"What did _she_ apologize for?"

"For overreacting. I didn't do anything wrong, Flack. Can we change the subject, please?"

Flack looked at Danny incredulously. _He can't seriously believe anything he just said._

**CSI: NY**

Lindsay smiled as she and Denny held hands while they walked back to the crime lab. He had rescheduled his appointments in order to take her to lunch.

"They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder."

Lindsay raised a brow and smiled. "Oh, really? I've never heard that before," she said sarcastically.

Denny's face was serious. "I missed you, Lindsay."

"I missed you too, Denny. I really enjoy your company."

"Hmmm. I don't know what to make of that. It sounds so…platonic."

"I definitely think of you as more than a platonic friend. If I didn't, would I do this?"

She turned to him and kissed him on the lips.

"Tell you what, the next time I go out of town, it will be a weekend getaway for two. How does that sound?"

He scanned her face for a reaction and found fear etched on her face.

"Too soon?"

She nodded slowly. "Right now. No need to rush into things."

"It's Danny, isn't?"

"What about Danny?" Lindsay was very confused.

"Forget I brought it up." They approached the entrance to the lab and he held the door open for her. "I'll call you later." He leaned in for a kiss and watched as she walked to the elevator.

Danny was on the opposite side of the street returning from lunch with Flack. They saw the exchange and Flack looked at Danny for a reaction. He saw his jaw tense up, but he walked determinedly towards the lab. As they entered the building, they saw Lindsay still waiting for the elevator with a host of other workers returning from lunch.

Flack called out, "Hey, Lindsay! Was that the wonderful Denny we've been hearing so much about?"

Lindsay beamed. "Why, yes, Flack. I hope you get to meet him some time. He's a nice guy, right, Danny?"

Danny forced a grin upon his face and nodded.

"Why don't you invite him out with us the next time the team goes to Sullivan's?"

Lindsay looked at Danny quickly and said hesitantly, "I'm…not…so…sure…that's a good idea, Flack."

"Why not?"

"We'd like some one-on-one time…"

"Woah, Lindsay! Moving a little fast, don't you think?" Flack laughed and held up his hands as if to stop Lindsay.

"You know what I mean. Stop being silly! I meant to say private time."

Flack continued to laugh.

"I can't have a decent conversation with you, I swear!"

The elevator opened and they all filed in.

**CSI: NY**

Denny reached across the table to hold Lindsay's hand.

"Lindsay, are you free Saturday after next?"

Suspicion was evident in her eyes. "I think so."

"I'd like you to come somewhere with me."

"Where?"

"My niece is having a recital. "

Lindsay smiled nervously.

"She plays the piano and they've promised me that it would be less than an hour. Afterward, we can get a bite to eat."

"What time?"

Denny smiled with relief.

"5:30. Think you can make it?"

"I'll be there, Danny…I mean Denny."

**CSI: NY**

Sheldon whistled at the thought of Lindsay going to Denny's niece's recital.

"That's a big step, Lindsay. That whole 'meet the family' thing is crossing into new territory. That means a lot to a man."

Lindsay's eyes were closed and her face was wrenched in pain. "You're not _helping_ me, Sheldon!"

Sheldon rubbed his head. "Do you want honesty, which will help you in the long run, or dishonesty, which might sound really good now but will leave you in a very awkward situation later?"

Lindsay moaned.

"Of course, if you really care for him none of this matters."

"Denny's a nice guy and all, but I don't think I'm ready to meet his family. Of course it's not as bad as when he asked me to go away with him for the weekend."

"He asked you WHAT? Is he that desperate, Lindsay?"

She looked hurt. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"As wonderful as you are, sweetie, no man in his right man would move that fast. No offense."

"But I already agreed to go to the recital, Sheldon," she whined. "How do I get out of it without hurting him?"

"Are you serious about him? Because if you're not and he's as serious as I think he is, then you need to let him know _now_."

Lindsay covered her head with her sofa pillow and writhed in emotional pain.

"Sheldon?" she called with a weak voice from underneath the pillow.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think it means anything if I call 'Denny' 'Danny'?"

Sheldon closed his eyes. "Tell me you didn't, Linds." She winced. "_Please_ tell me you didn't."

"I did," came the muffled reply.

He paused as he assessed the situation. "I guess since their names are similar and since you've known Danny longer…. But Lindsay, calling your boyfriend by another man's name is a real ego-killer."

"Again, you are _not_ helping me, Sheldon!"

**CSI: NY**

_Maybe I shouldn't have told Sheldon that I called 'Denny' 'Danny,' because now I've called him 'Danny' about ten times this week. It must be because I'm so used to saying Danny's name. And their names are so similar…_

**CSI: NY**

Denny picked up Lindsay at her apartment to take her out to dinner. Since she and Denny were spending so much time together, she wanted to introduce him to her workmates. After going back and forth about how best to broach the subject, she decided to just spit it out.

"Denny, my coworkers are going out for a drink tomorrow after work and I'd really like you to come."

Denny remained silent as he tried to think of a way to refuse diplomatically.

"I know that when we went on a double date it didn't go so well, but this time it's the whole team."

Still, no reply.

"You're bound to get along with one of them, right?" She smiled. "I'd really like for you to get to know my coworkers."

"If it's important to you, then fine. I'll go." _Hopefully then she can see the difference between Danny and me, because if she calls me 'Danny' one more time…_

Lindsay smiled. "Thank you, Denny."

"Will Danny be there?"

"I told you that the whole team will be there – that includes Danny. You know, he's not that bad. He _is_ a good friend of mine."

"Just how friendly are you?"

"We work together everyday. I trust him with my life, and he trusts me with his."

"So this is just a 'cop' thing?"

"We're friends outside of work if that's what you're asking. You know that. _Please_ tell me that you're not about to give me an ultimatum." She was becoming quite impatient with him.

"I'm not giving you an ultimatum, but I would like to know how much time my girlfriend is spending with other men."

After a moment, Lindsay put on a fake smile and said, "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that or else our evening would be ruined." She inhaled deeply, but that didn't calm her. "As a matter of fact, I'm going to get a cab and go home."

"Lindsay, let's talk about this," he pleaded.

Lindsay rose from her seat and Denny got up and grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving.

"Do _not_ touch me." Her voice was low but firm.

Instead of causing a scene he let her get a head start then followed her outside.

He caught her as she was trying to hail a cab. 

"Lindsay, listen to me. I'm sorry." He touched her arm to turn her to him. "I didn't mean to upset you."

She turned around to glare at him. _If looks could kill._

"Okay, I've gone beyond upsetting you. I can see that I've insulted you. I'm sorry. Just talk to me, okay?"

She spoke through clenched teeth, "Not tonight."

"Promise me that we can talk about this tomorrow," he pleaded. He knew that he had pushed her too far.

She turned to him, unable to control her anger. "_Promise _you? What good would _my_ promise be if I'm going out with you while I'm screwing my coworker?"

"There's no need to be crass, Lindsay."

"Well, I guess I can't be as diplomatic as you were when you asked me if I was having an affair with my _coworker_."

"Look, Lindsay, I guess I'm a little insecure. After all, it doesn't help that you've called me by his name quite a few times."

Lindsay was suddenly embarrassed and felt guilty, but she was still angry.

"I'm sorry about that, Denny, but I _have_ known him for two years, and your names are similar. I spend at least eight hours a day with him, and we _are_ friends. These things happen."

"That's just it. You've known him for a long time – you have a history together. Right or wrong, I feel as if I'm competing with him for your time and your attention, and I don't think I'm wrong for not wanting to be called by another man's name, especially _his_ name. Everyday I have to listen to the latest Danny stories, so he _is_ in our relationship." He paused and shook his head. "This just isn't working. I know that I'm not perfect, but I shouldn't have to work this hard for your attention. I know that you're worth it, but I don't have the energy to do it. I hope you understand."

Lindsay looked at the ground.

"Lindsay?" He was trying to get her attention so that she would look at him, but she didn't. "I want you to know that I'm not mad at you, but this isn't the kind of relationship I want to be in. You're a wonderful, beautiful woman. I'm just not the guy for you."

Lindsay nodded, still not making eye contact.

"I'll take you home."

Her head shot up and she quickly responded, "No. I'll be alright." She paused for a few moments. "You're right, Denny, I wasn't being fair to you. I'm sorry. I had just started hanging out with my friends again after a long time of isolating myself from them and it wasn't the time for me to get into a relationship. The night we met was the first time I had gone out with friends in a very long time. I should have taken one step at a time. I'm sorry for dragging you into this…"

"Don't apologize. I'm glad I got to know you. Just do me a favor, will you? Stop denying that you and Danny have feelings for each other. He's crazy about you and you're crazy about him. It's obvious to anyone who's around you for five minutes. I guess that's what upset me when we went on that double date. I saw it too."

"Denny, we don't…"

"Yes, you do feel that way. There's nothing wrong with that. It's time that you were honest with yourself. You deserve some happiness, and if Danny is the one who can give it to you…"

Lindsay shook her head. "Denny…"

"Good-bye, Lindsay." He kissed her on her cheek, hailed a cab and rode away.


	6. Chapter 6

**This was going to be the last chapter then I thought of another direction for this story. Sorry! Danny and Lindsay are not going to get together in this chapter, but they will not date anyone else either.**

**I've realized that I can't write anything but fluff. Just call me Rejo the Fluffmeister. Or The Queen of Fluff will do nicely. **_**I just can't help myself!!!**_

**CSI: NY**

**CHAPTER 6**

After breaking up with Denny in the middle of a crowded street, Lindsay was happy that the next day was her off day. Ordinarily, she would have spent the day veg-ing out alone, but since she had gotten used to having her friends around, she decided to call Stella for comfort around mid-day.

"_Bonasera."_

"Stella, it's Lindsay. You working today?"

"_I was on-call; I'm on my way from a scene now."_

"Can you swing by when you get a chance? I really need a friend today. "

"_I'll give you a call when I leave. Hold tight, Lindsay."_

"Alright. Thanks. See you later."

**CSI:NY**

Danny jumped at the vibration of his phone.

"Messer." 

"_Danny, this is Stella. Mac's in court today, but when you see him, can you tell him that I might be a little late for our 'meeting' at Sullivan's?"_

"Sure. What's going on?"

"_I'm stopping by Lindsay. She just called me and she needs a shoulder to cry on."_

"What happened?" he asked worriedly.

"_I'm not sure, but she sounds distraught. I told her that I'd be over shortly. Depending on what it's about, we might not make it at all. I'll keep you abreast of the situation."_

"Yeah. Tell her if she needs anything to give me a call."

"_Will do. Bye."_

"Bye, Stell." _Why didn't Lindsay call _me_ if she needed someone to talk to?_

**CSI:NY**

When Lindsay opened the door, Stella did not see the happy person she had recently gotten used to seeing.

"Lindsay, what's up?"

"Hey, Stella. Come in. I didn't know you'd be by this soon."

"There wasn't another call, so I took advantage of my position and slipped out." She chuckled.

"Mmmm. Must be nice. You want something to drink? I have ice tea."

"Yeah, that would be good."

It took her a few moments to pour a glass of iced tea and bring it to Stella in the living room, where she was seated on the couch.

"So, what's going on, Lindsay?"

She sighed heavily and said, "Denny broke up with me last night."

"Aw, Linds, I'm sorry." She looked at Lindsay's face and noticed that she didn't look so much sad as she was distracted "That's a bad thing, right?"

"I…yes…but…I don't know, Stella!"

She continued, "He said that I talked about Danny all the time, and then I kept calling him Danny and I guess I didn't feel the same way he felt about me; that's why I turned him down when he asked me to spend the weekend with him and why I felt so uncomfortable when he asked me to go to his niece's recital and he was jealous of the time I spend with Danny both at work and outside of work…" Lindsay spoke all of this in one quick sentence which left her gasping for air.

"Breathe, Lindsay, breathe." They were both silent while Lindsay regained her composure, but Stella fought back a hearty laugh.

Suddenly, Stella realized the value of that boring mandatory workshop she was forced to go to when she got her promotion: _How to be an Active Listener_. It was there that she learned how to concisely regurgitate what a speaker had said without imposing her own opinion. Her opinion would have to wait a bit.

"What you're saying is that Denny broke up with you because he was jealous of Danny, and you weren't really sure that you felt the same way about him that he felt about you anyway."

Lindsay looked at Stella with her head cocked to the side and answered, "Yes."

"So Denny breaking up with you isn't earth-shattering, is it?"

"No, I guess not." The pieces were falling into place.

"Do you feel guilty?"

"Of course I do. Do you know how many times I called 'Denny' 'Danny'? I'm just so used to saying Danny's name, I guess."

Stella muttered sarcastically, "Yeah, _that's_ the reason."

Lindsay heard her and wanted clarification. "What does that mean?"

"Lindsay, we've had this conversation before and my viewpoint is still the same. Denny was not the guy for you. Why? Because he's not Danny. Case closed."

"I don't think you're right on this one, Stell. Danny and I are friends. I rushed into dating and I'm going to give myself some time before trying to find another boyfriend."

Stella rolled her eyes. She quickly became aware that she was fighting a losing battle. Those two knuckleheads would have to acknowledge their true feelings before they could be together, and they were a long way from doing that.

**CSI:NY**

The team was at Sullivan's at their weekly staff 'meeting.' They were off the clock and the drinks were Mac's treat this time, so everyone felt free to imbibe and loosen up a bit. Flack shared his latest 'stupid criminals' stories, which, although seemingly repetitive, were preferable to Sid's reminiscences of his misspent youth.

"And he says to me, 'I can have any chick I want and I always leave 'em wanting more.' So I go up to Don Moron and say, 'Hey, genius, if you're such a ladies' man, how come you still live in your mother's basement?"

The group roared with laughter with the exception of Danny. Lindsay and Stella still hadn't arrived yet, and Lindsay had been on Danny's mind ever since Stella's phone call. The fact that his eyes stayed focus on the entrance didn't escape anyone.

The lull in the conversation allowed just enough time for Sid to try to slip in one of his stories. "You know, in the 60s I was a bit of a ladies' man myself…"

Mac interrupted him, "Sid," and shook his head and gestured with his hand that he should not continue with the story. "I think we all would like to sleep tonight." The group laughed again.

This time Danny's attention to the entrance paid off when he saw Lindsay walk in with Stella. A couple of days ago she had said she was bringing Denny but he was nowhere to be seen_. Nah…they couldn't have… _He wouldn't let himself get hopeful just yet.

As the women approached their table, Danny greeted Lindsay exuberantly, "Evening, Montana!"

Stella looked at him indignantly and asked, "What am I, Messer, chopped liver?"

"_Hello, Ms. Bonasera_," Danny said dramatically.

Stella just rolled her eyes at him while the others greeted them both. Danny noticed that Lindsay seemed to be avoiding making eye contact with him, but she could not totally avoid him. Standard protocol had called for the team to leave the seat next to Danny empty so that she could sit there. By now she was used to that arrangement and took the vacant seat.

As soon as she sat down, Danny whispered in a concerned tone, "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She still didn't look at him.

He could tell that she did not want him to pursue the subject, but he knew that he would get it out of her later.

Of course, Flack would be the one to ask the question, "Lindsay, where's the superhero, Denny?"

Everyone laughed except Stella, Lindsay and Danny. Stella and Lindsay didn't laugh because they knew that Denny had dumped Lindsay, but Danny didn't laugh because he was awaiting her response, which had the potential to kill him.

Lindsay fidgeted with a paper napkin from the dispenser and kept her eyes fixed on the table. "Denny and I aren't together anymore."

A chorus of "I'm sorry Lindsay" echoed around the table. Stella put her hand on Lindsay's arm, while Sheldon gave her a look that meant that they were going to talk about it later. Then everyone looked at Danny to gauge his face for a reaction. First they saw shock, then they saw what they thought they would see all along – hope. Sheldon and Stella tried to stifle a grin while they shook their heads. Sheldon thought, _that boy is hopeless._ Stella thought, _one knucklehead down, one to go._

**CSI:NY**

The team spent the rest of the evening trying to cheer up Lindsay. Danny couldn't help but lighten the mood for everyone since his own mood had changed; he was perfectly giddy. He and Flack bickered back and forth, amusing the entire group, including Lindsay.

At some point the team dwindled down to Sheldon, Danny, and Lindsay. The rest had to be to work early so they wisely decided to leave. Sheldon and Danny wanted to talk to Lindsay about her breakup with Denny, but they didn't want to talk about her personal life in public, so they were going to accompany her back to her apartment.

**CSI:NY**

"Really, guys, it's not a big deal. Breakups happen all the time. I'll be alright. I promise. Besides, it's late. We have to work tomorrow."

"Montana, it's never too late to talk to a friend. You'd do the same for me or Hawkes, right?"

"I wasn't there when you and Bridget broke up."

"Yes you were. When I told you about it, you were very concerned. Now it's my turn to repay your kindness."

Lindsay rolled her eyes and looked at her friends – one was sitting on the wing-backed chair and the other was on the opposite end of the sofa. She could see that she had no choice but to talk. She would have rather Danny not be there so that she could talk freely to Sheldon, but since he was there she would have to choose her words wisely and not reveal what Stella had to say about her and Danny.

"Denny and I weren't compatible. We weren't looking for the same things in a relationship. He…didn't like how many hours I have to work." This was partially true. If Danny wasn't in the picture, he wouldn't have minded at all.

Sheldon chuckled, "Oh, and a corporate lawyer works a 9 to 5 job. Yeah, right."

She continued, "He was kind of jealous, and I can't tolerate jealousy."

Shaking his head, Danny said, "Neither can I. Stay away from jealous guys. They can make your life miserable."

Sheldon gave him a look that said _you can't be serious. _ Sheldon _and_ Danny knew that when it came to his girlfriends, Danny could be a bit…overprotective at times, but Sheldon decided to keep his mouth closed.

"He wanted to take things faster than I wanted to, like introduce me to his family or take me away for the weekend."

"Damn, Montana! If he had kept that up you would have been married by next week!"

They all laughed at this.

Hawkes interrupted, "Speaking of which, don't you have something to ask her?"

Danny turned red and asked sarcastically, "Hawkes, has anyone ever told you that your timing is impeccable?"

Sheldon just laughed and gestured for him to ask Lindsay a question.

"Lindsay, I'm inviting my _friends_ to my parents' house on Sunday and you are invited and you're not allowed to say no."

Lindsay grinned. "If I say yes, does that mean we'll be married by next week?"

"Wellll…maybe next month." Sheldon's eyebrows shot up. "We don't want to rush things."

Lindsay and Danny laughed at Sheldon's expression. "Yes, Danny, I'd love to go. Who else is going?"

"Hawkes and Flack. They've been over before, so they know what kind of craziness to expect."

"And what kind of craziness should I expect?"

Hawkes jumped in, "Let's just say that after meeting them, you'll understand Messer a lot better."

Danny frowned, "Hey! I resent that comment! I'm the best thing in the Messer family line."

Sheldon groaned and then mumbled, "I wouldn't be too proud of that, Danny."

6/2/07

**TBC**

**Next chapter: Meeting Danny's crazy family**

**PLEASE review. Let me know if you would like to see anything in particular happen.**


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

Danny, Flack, Hawkes, and Lindsay all managed to be off for Sunday dinner at the Messer family home. Hawkes offered to pick them all up since they would most likely not return until late.

Flack was his first pickup. Hawkes called him to let him know to be waiting outside of his apartment. He pulled up and unlocked the doors.

"Hawkes, my man. Right on time."

Hawkes smiled mischievously and said, "So, you ready for the show we're about to see?"

Flack laughed. "I don't know, man. Lindsay's meeting Danny's folks? How'd he talk her into that?"

"That's where you and I come in, my friend. We're here as props, part of the friends network, I guess you could say."

"Ahhh. All part of the 'we're just friends' ruse. Gotcha."

The two men smiled and shook their heads. When they approached Danny's place, Flack called him to let him know they were close. The phone rang twice before he picked up.

"Messer."

"Mr. Messer? This is the Dating Police. We understand that you are dating one of your coworkers without her knowing it. This is a punishable offense. We're coming to pick you up to take you in."

Danny rolled his eyes and muttered, "Flack, you son of a…"

"And we also understand that you are bringing her to meet your parents under the pretense of hanging out as friends. You're looking at some stiff time here, buddy."

"Flack, get off the…I'm coming down." _Am I really that transparent?"_

By the time they made it to Lindsay's apartment, Hawkes and Flack had Danny steaming.

Danny leaned up to the occupants in the front seat and warned, "I promise, if you say something to scare her off…"

"We're just teasing, man. It stops here," Flack managed to say through his laughter.

"'Cause I'm just trying to be a friend. That's all."

Flack and Hawkes erupted with laughter. Hawkes warned, "When you say things like that, we can't help but call you on it. You know you want to be more than friends. We do admire your creativity, though." They laughed again.

Danny flipped open his phone and called Lindsay to let her know they were waiting for her. When she came through the front door of her apartment building Danny got out of the car to open the car door for her. He noticed her tight dark wash jeans and her dark red sleeveless wrap shirt that exposed a bit of her cleavage. Her hair was pulled into a neat bun in the back. He had never seen her with her hair slicked back before.

"Why, thank you, Danny."

"You're very welcomed, Montana."

He shut the door and went to the other side to get in.

"Hi, guys."

"Hi, Lindsay," they said together right before they gave in to fits of giggles.

Lindsay's looked at Danny, fraught with confusion, and he closed his eyes, dropped his chin, and shook his head sadly. _What have I gotten myself into?_

**CSI:NY**

"Uncle Danny's here!" a young girl about ten years old hollered from the porch as Danny led his friends toward his parents' house.

"Jillian, you're getting big – and loud." The little girl smiled brightly and put the side of her hand up to her brow to shade her eyes from the bright sun. She turned to Flack and Hawkes and squinted.

"Hi, Uncle Don. Hi, Uncle Sheldon." She gave each of them a hug, and then turned to the newcomer and asked, "Who are you?"

"Jillian, this is Lindsay Monroe," Danny offered.

Jillian looked at Lindsay's smiling face and asked, "_THE_ Lindsay Monroe?" She turned and ran into the house screaming, "Grandma, Uncle Danny brought Lindsay! Uncle Danny brought Lindsay!"

Hawkes and Flack couldn't help but laugh at Danny's and Lindsay's embarrassment.

Lindsay asked, "Danny, is there something I should know before going in?"

"Nah. I talk about work all the time and they've met Flack and Hawkes already. You were the only holdout."

"Oh."

They made their way inside and their olfactory senses were assaulted by the aromas wafting in from the kitchen. Lindsay's eyes closed as she inhaled deeply as if her stomach could get full just by smelling the food. When she opened her eyes, the guys saw pure orgasmic contentment on her face.

"What? Something smells good. How long 'til we eat?"

Danny chuckled. "I'll find out." He walked toward the kitchen, but before he could enter, his mother met him in the doorway. He bent down to give her a kiss.

"Hi, Danny. I hear you have some guests."

"Yeah, you already know Flack and Hawkes…" 

"Hi, Mrs. Messer," they both said at the same time.

"…and this is Lindsay Monroe. But you can call her Montana."

Lindsay shot him a dirty look, and just as fast, she turned to Mrs. Messer and smiled.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Messer." The ladies embraced, which Lindsay noticed was more than casual.

"Call me Liz. I can't tell you how long I've wanted to meet you. Henry will be home soon. I've sent him to the store to pick up a few things. We've all heard so much about you. Tell me, what are you doing hanging out with the likes of this crew?"

"It seems that I'm a glutton for punishment."

"Hopefully you can knock some sense into them, especially this one," she said as she smacked Danny on his arm. Flack and Hawkes laughed at him as he cowered away from his mother.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"For waiting so long to introduce me to Lindsay. She's a nice girl." She turned to Lindsay. "Do you cook?"

"Most country girls do," she said politely.

"You can help me in the kitchen. I'm almost finished but I can give you some recipes that will keep Danny coming back for more."

Lindsay shot Danny a look, but he was much too embarrassed to look her in the eye. Liz dragged Lindsay into the kitchen.

**CSI:NY**

Jillian reappeared in the kitchen and sat at the table next to Lindsay to listen in on the adults' conversation. Liz wanted to talk to Lindsay about her and Danny, so she told her to go to the den to watch the game with her 'uncles.'

"Lindsay, why is this the first time I'm meeting you?"

Lindsay shrugged and said, "I've never been invited."

Liz was tending to the food on the stove so her back was to Lindsay.

"Every time I asked Danny to invite you over he says you're too busy." She wondered if something had changed between them. Maybe they were getting closer…

"You know how unpredictable our schedules can be."

"Mmhmm. I'm happy you were free today. Danny told me that you worked undercover once."

"That was my first and my last time doing that."

"That's the same thing Danny said."

"He tried to stop me from doing it altogether. Your son is a little…overprotective."

"You've never dated an Italian man before?"

Lindsay's eyes widened. "I'm not dating one now."

Liz chuckled and responded very certainly, "You'll get used to it. He wouldn't act that way if he didn't care about you."

Lindsay didn't know how to respond to that statement. Fortunately, she didn't have to.

"Montana!" Danny called from the other room. "Get in here! You're missing all the action!"

Lindsay was happy to have a way out of this awkward conversation. She gave Liz a smile, said, "Excuse me," and then joined the guys watching the game. Jillian was lying in the middle of the floor on her stomach, propping herself up on her elbows. Lindsay sat down next to Danny, who put his hand on her back to rub it lightly, feeling the bra strap through her shirt. Just one quick move and he could... He noticed the deer-in-headlights expression on her face.

He whispered, "You alright?"

She smiled. "Yeah, just fine."

Danny knew that something was wrong and he knew the cause – his mother. She was quite meddlesome when it came to Danny's love life. He couldn't help but wonder if she had scared Lindsay off for good. He had told his mother that they weren't dating and that she shouldn't even bring up the subject with Lindsay, but as usual she had selective hearing.

A booming voice snapped Danny out of his reverie but didn't make Jillian flinch; she never stopped focusing on the game.

"Danny! Who've we got here? Don? Sheldon? How's it going?" As Flack and Hawkes greeted Henry, Danny rose to his feet to give his father a hug. His father looked at the girl who was seated on his sofa and said, while keeping his eyes on her, "This is a new face. And a pretty one at that."

"Dad, this is Lindsay Monroe, a coworker and a friend of mine."

"I see why you work so much, Danny." Lindsay blushed and rose from her seat. She walked over to Henry and extended her hand. He shook her hand but did not release it, just as he hadn't released his eyes from hers.

"You are absolutely beautiful, my dear. Danny, you'd better treat her right, or some guy – maybe Flack or Hawkes – is gonna steal her away from…"

"Dad! We're not going out. I told you that already."

"Well, I know some nice guys who would love to…"

"Dad, she didn't come here for a hook up. She came to hang out. She and her boyfriend just broke up and we're just hanging out, okay?" Danny was as red as a beet at this point, and he was almost begging his father not to continue.

His father gave him a confused look, knowing how much he talked about her and the _way_ he talked about her – he knew that Danny didn't just want to be her friend.

Flack and Hawkes had the shakes from their attempts to stifle their laughter. Lindsay wasn't as embarrassed as she was amused that Danny was so embarrassed by his parents.

Liz stuck her head in the den and said, "Time to eat."

**CSI:NY**

Everyone had eaten too much, talked too much, teased too much, and laughed too much. It was late and it was time to go. As they all exited, Liz kissed them and said good-bye. When she got to Lindsay, she kissed her and said, "You're an honorary Messer now. I expect to see you here often, okay? Danny, are you listening?"

"Yeah, Ma," he said dismissively.

Lindsay stood there with shock registering on her face. She knew that to refuse her new moniker would be an insult, but she knew that with her coworkers there, this would spread through the lab like wildfire.

"Th…Thank you." She tried to smile through the shock and confusion. She hugged Danny's mother and said, "I'm honored." Flack and Hawkes were barely containing themselves. _Oh, yeah. I'm never going to hear the end of this one._

6/3/07


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

The ride back was relatively quiet. Lindsay's was the first apartment they got to. As the car rolled to a stop, Flack and Hawkes turned back to her and said in a contrived, sing-song way, "Bye Ms. Messer!" Lindsay rolled her eyes and exited the car. Before she could get out she noticed Danny getting out also.

"You don't need to walk me up," Lindsay protested.

When Danny made it around to the passenger side of the car he said, "I want to." It was the least he could do after what she had been subjected to.

They walked into the building and rode up the elevator in silence. When they reached Lindsay's door, Danny turned to her and said, "I'm sorry."

Lindsay looked at him curiously. "For what?"

"For today. My family. Our friends. You know that we'll never hear the end of it. I didn't invite you for you to be embarrassed."

Lindsay smiled. "I enjoyed meeting your family. It's clear that you all love each other very much. It was fun seeing you interact with them. I haven't been back home to Montana for so long that I almost forgot what it's like to have Sunday dinner with a family. Do you think that your family is the only one that likes to tease? You should meet my family some time."

"I'd like to."

Lindsay laughed, but Danny was serious. She was thrown a bit by his comment, so she hesitated before she spoke. "When I finally talk them into visiting me, you'll be the first to know. They love to make me squirm too. You could get some great blackmail material."

Danny smiled and nodded. "Good. In that case, don't make this the last time you come with me, although the next time I think I'll leave Frick and Frack at home." They laughed nervously.

_This is getting awkward. I _really_ want to kiss him, but I can't ruin our friendship. Awww, hell…_

Lindsay leaned up to kiss Danny on his cheek. She meant for it to be a quick peck, but it lingered a bit (through no fault of her own, of course). When she pulled back, she looked at him for a reaction. They looked at each other intensely for a few seconds before they leaned in and kissed each other on the lips. Lindsay's eyes fluttered closed, and one of her arms went around his waist and the other went around his neck and up to the back of his head to pull him into her. By the time the kiss was over, they both were entangled with the other and not a millimeter of space was left between their bodies, leaving them to feel the other's cardiac response to their oral display of affection.

They looked at each other as if to say, _where did that come from?_

Lindsay gave Danny a shy smile and said, "So, same time next Sunday?"

A huge smile spread across Danny's face. "Deal. Goodnight, Linds." He gave her a brief kiss on the lips and backed away.

"Goodnight Danny."

**TBC**


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters. They're owned by CBS and its respective entities.**

**CSI:NY**

Even though CSIs work seven days a week, somehow Monday mornings managed to be the worst, and to top it off, it was raining. Rainy days were for sleeping late, not for running around in the rain looking for evidence. Despite this, Lindsay awoke with a smile on her face. It took a while for her to recall the previous day's events that led to her joyous mood on such a dreary Monday morning. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and everything (and everyone) smelled like roses – in her mind.

**CSI:NY**

They both knew it was coming. They knew that it was coming today. They knew who, but they didn't know what or how. Somehow, yesterday's events were going to be brought to light in the lab, in a big and embarrassing way.

Lindsay heard gales of laughter as she approached Mac's office. She walked in but did not take a seat, opting to stand by the door in case she needed to make a quick exit. She greeted her coworkers and they did the same. Lindsay saw Danny sitting down looking quite grumpy. She figured that Hawkes and Flack were already giving him a hard time. _I thought I'd be safe in Mac's office, but apparently I was mistaken._

Then she heard the tail end of Flack's statement, "…They're trying to marry off Messer and they have their eye on a certain somebody with whom you are all acquainted." Flack's eyes strayed to Lindsay's direction and the laughter continued. Lindsay chuckled and shook her head.

Stella broke in, "Oh, Lindsay, someone said they had a gift for you. I told them I'd pass it on." The quiver of her lips made it evident that she was fighting off a fit of laughter. Lindsay looked at her as if to say, _just get it over with._ Stella's arm came from behind her back bearing a rectangular gift-wrapped object. Lindsay knew that this was a gag gift but she played along and opened it. 'It' was her gold name plate that _used_ to be all gold, which someone had taken from her desk. The 'Lindsay' part was perfectly fine, but 'Monroe' was covered with white paper with 'Messer' scrawled on it.

"You're all a bunch of juveniles!" She rolled her eyes and smirked. It was a good thing she could take a joke.

Mac brought his team back to order, "Alright, alright. Everybody settle down. Lindsay, here's your assignment for the day," he reached her a small sheet of paper and then reached her a full-sized sheet, "and here's a name change form. Congratulations, you two. Where are you registered? We'd like to get you a gift."

She had never seen Mac laugh so hard. Danny just sat there with his head in his hands while Lindsay left the room to a chorus of, "Bye, Mrs. Messer!"

**CSI:NY**

She had to endure the rest of the day with people asking her where her husband was, why they hadn't received an invitation to the wedding, and being called Messer #2, or She-Messer (for clarity).

He had to endure the rest of the day with people asking him where his wife was, why they hadn't received an invitation to the wedding, and being called Messer #1, or He-Messer.

**TBC**


	10. Chapter 10

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters. They're owned by CBS and its respective entities.**

A/N: I have enjoyed writing this story and getting feedback from all of you awesome reviewers. I'm sorry for taking so long, but I hit a wall and could not come up with anything else to write. Please don't think I'd leave a story unfinished, though. I will see this through. In the meantime I wrote another story ("Help a Sista Out") and managed to finish it, just barely.

**CHAPTER 10**

**CSI:NY**

"What we got, Murphy?" Danny asked as he walked up to the crime scene, kit in hand. The DB lied on his back, with his eyes bulging from his head, face panic-stricken, and blood leaking from every orifice of his body. Flack was questioning witnesses, so Danny asked Officer Murphy for any available information, although he would just as well have been talking to a horse's butt.

"Brook Nessman. Nasty fall. Guess we can call him 'Broke Nessman,' right?" The rotund cop laughed at his own joke, but Danny wasn't amused and did not pretend to be. Murphy saw this and became serious.

"So, anyways, where's that lady CSI who thinks she's…" Just then, Murphy saw Lindsay approach the crime scene with her lab kit.

"Oh, there she is. She's the stuck-up wench who tried throwing her weight around on that train."

Danny glared at him and rose from his crouching position as Flack approached the two of them just in time to hear Murphy's rant about Lindsay. Just when Danny was about to blow, Flack pulled the officer by the arm off to the side.

"That _stuck up wench_ is a cop just like you are, and she's a damn good one. You want to talk about her 'cause she's doing her job? Are you kidding me?"

"I didn't mean to…" Murphy was cut off by Flack's anger, but he didn't realize that he was being saved from Danny's fury.

"You didn't mean to what, Murphy? I don't want to hear it. Do me a favor, just do your job and quit bad-mouthing your fellow officers. Know what? Since you're such a people person, go work crowd control." With that, Murphy walked toward the voyeurs and Flack turned back to Danny, who was just a bit less angry after hearing get what-for from Flack, but he was still in no mood to talk. Lindsay approached Danny and Flack not knowing what was said, only that it wasn't a pleasant conversation.

She could tell that Danny and Flack were upset and figured that Murphy was the reason. "He's giving you trouble?"

She looked to both men for a response, but none was forthcoming. She continued, "I worked with him at a scene and he's full of it. He's more interested in clearing a scene than processing it."

Danny drew in a breath and Flack quickly responded, "That's why he's on crowd duty right now. If he ever gives you a hard time about _anything_, I'll take care of him."

Danny shot him a look that told him he had moved over into Danny's territory. "Or you can tell Danny and _he'll_ take care of him." Flack turned on his heels and walked away before he could lodge another foot in his mouth.

When Flack walked away, Lindsay quietly asked Danny, "What's wrong? Did he say something to you?"

"Don't worry about it Lindsay. Murphy's a first-class ass."

She could see that pursuing her line of questioning would be fruitless, so she decided to drop the issue altogether.

"I'm going back to the roof to see if there's any evidence to collect."

**CSI:NY**

Lindsay gathered the evidence on the roof that would hopefully lead them to finding out if Brook Nessman fell or was pushed, while Danny stayed on the ground. After a couple of hours they figured that they were ready to wrap up the evidence collection. Lindsay's phone vibrated, and she flipped it open.

"Monroe."

"_So, Montana, you want to get something to eat after work?"_

_He must have calmed down. _"What did you have in mind?"

"_Your choice."_

"In that case, there's a bar and grill that I like to go to on my off days. Are you game?"

"_Yeah, I'm in. What time are you off?"_

"Five o'clock, same as you."

"Good. We'll leave together, alright, Mrs. Messer?"

She chuckled. "Alright, Mr. Messer."

**CSI:NY**

The bar and grill had a different ambiance at night than it did during the daytime; it was a lot more intimate. The lighting was dim and there were candles at each table.

Lindsay tried to appear calm, cool, and collect, but the truth was that she was totally unnerved by Danny's presence now. That kiss had changed everything and she couldn't wait for a repeat performance. She had always wondered what it would be like to kiss him, but actually doing the deed did nothing to satiate her appetite, and having him hold her hands across the small table was all she needed to excite her.

The waiter approached and asked if he could take their order. Danny noticed that the waiter's eyes didn't leave Lindsay's and that he seemed to give her a true smile, as opposed to the fake smile he gave Danny. They asked for a few more minutes to look at their menus, but Danny had other things on his mind.

"You know him?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

"He's looking at you as if he's…"

"As if he's _what, _Danny?" Lindsay chuckled. "Are you jealous?"

"Who said anything about being jealous? I just think that this guy is very unprofessional. He's supposed to treat everyone the same, and he's making sweet eyes at you."

"Do you want him to make sweet eyes at you too, Messer? I'm sure he could oblige." Lindsay was laughing hysterically at this point. Danny just glared at her while the waiter came back to take their order. Danny gave the young waiter the strongest glare that he could conjure up, but he didn't seem to notice. Lindsay managed to give her order without laughing too much, and Danny gave his between clenched teeth.

The waiter scribbled their orders and commented, "I'll be right back with your drinks." He winked at Lindsay before he turned to go, and she almost had to physically restrain Danny to keep him from jumping the guy.

**CSI:NY**

Danny managed to calm down, although he refused to speak to or make eye contact with the waiter; he let Lindsay be his mouthpiece. He didn't want to waste his evening out with Lindsay, so he brought up something that had been on his mind ever since Lindsay started socializing with her workmates again.

"So, have you contacted your folks about visiting you yet?"

"I…I haven't spoken to my family for…a while."

Danny gave her a curious look, but he didn't want to turn her off by asking the question that was on his mind.

"Danny, when I said that I shut everyone out, I meant _everyone_. My family wanted to help me but they didn't know how, and I didn't really give them a chance to learn. Every time I plan to call them, I chicken out."

Danny chose his words cautiously. "Knowing the kind of person that you are, I know that your family has to be loyal and kind. It would be impossible for them to give up on you. I didn't, and I haven't known you for nearly as long as they have."

"I know that's true, but it's easier said than done. I always get to that last digit and I can't dial it. What if it's too late?"

"It's never too late. Besides, could you deny them the privilege of meeting me?"

At this, Lindsay smiled and said, "I guess if I don't introduce you, they'll have to live the rest of their lives without knowing the splendor of Danny Messer, and what a pity that would be."

It _would _have been a pity for the waiter if Lindsay had not lobbied on his behalf so that he received a tip.

**CSI:NY**

As they approached her door it was obvious that neither of them wanted to say goodnight. Danny had insisted on walking her home, but refused to enter her apartment. He said it was because of work the next day, but Lindsay knew better. He didn't trust himself around her, but little did he know that she was more of a threat to him than he was to her.

They kissed goodnight, good morning, and good afternoon, all in the matter of a few minutes, and Danny reluctantly made his way home.

**CSI:NY**

PLEASE give me suggestions for another chapter.

6/24/07


	11. Chapter 11

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters. They're owned by CBS and its respective entities.**

**CHAPTER 11**

When he left, she thought about how close she had gotten to her friends again and how her family deserved the same, if not more, effort. With much trepidation, Lindsay's fingers dialed the numbers that would reconnect her to her family. She was surprised that even after all of this time her fingers automatically dialed without hesitation. She fought not to hang up when she heard the ring, and when she heard a familiar voice.

"_Monroe residence."_

Pause. "Daddy?"

"_Who…Pumpkin! Leslie pick up the phone! It's Lindsay!"_ There was commotion in the background and then the sound of her mother picking up another receiver.

"_Lindsay? Baby?"_

"Hi, Mom." Her heart was pounding and she was sure that her parents could not only hear the hesitance in her voice, but also the pounding of her heart.

"_We're so glad to hear from you. Are you alright?"_

"Yes, I am. I just wanted to…I just wanted to tell you that I've been doing a lot better and you don't have to worry about me."

"_We'll always worry about you, sweetheart." _Silence._ "It's been a while."_

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry about that. I had some things to work through, but it's all behind me now."

"_Good."_

"I'm so sorry for being so distant, but I thought I could handle things on my own. Turns out I couldn't."

"_Whoever's responsible for bringing you back to us deserves our thanks."_

"My friends and coworkers never gave up on me. I don't know why, because I had shut them out, too. Eventually I isolated myself until I couldn't take it anymore."

Lindsay could hear her mother crying.

"_I've prayed for this day! I knew you'd come back to us!"_

Her father attempted to calm her.

"_Alright, Mother, pull yourself together. Well, darling, it's good to hear from you, but when can we see you?"_

"Are you willing to travel?"

"_Are we willing to travel? Just say when!"_

**CSI:NY**

A week later, Steve and Leslie Monroe flew into New York to see their daughter for the first time in too long. As Lindsay drove them to her apartment, they took in the sights of New York for the first time.

"As much as I wish you'd come back home, I can certainly see what keeps you here."

"It **is** great, isn't it? You should see it at night – it's a spectacular sight!"

Her parents settled into her place, showered and sat on the couch to catch up. They noticed that there was one name that kept popping up. The last few times Lindsay mentioned it, her parents gave each other a knowing glance.

"Maybe I can talk Danny into giving us the New York tour. It's much better when you go with a native."

Her mother had to ask, "When can we meet him?"

"Tonight, actually. He's going to take us out to dinner, then we're going out with the rest of the gang for drinks and dancing. You'd better rest up – they can be a bit wild."

**CSI:NY**

Danny arrived at Lindsay's door at 6:55. He took a few deep breaths to try to calm his nerves, but it was in vain. He tried to remind himself that he'd met the parents of girls he had dated before, but he knew that this was different. Why did he care so much what they thought about him? _Oh, well, might as well get it over with._

As he knocked on the door, the sound of laughter reverberated into the hall, and managed to put Danny at ease. The door opened, and to Danny's surprise, it was a tall middle-aged man with a twinkle in his eyes. He extended his hand and said, "You must be Danny."

"Yes, sir. Mr. Monroe?"

"Call me Steve. Come in. It's nice to meet you. We've heard a lot about you."

They walked over to the couch and Leslie rose to greet Danny.

"Hi, Danny. I've heard a lot about you."

Seeing that this was the second time he'd heard that, he said, "All good, I hope."

"Of course. Our daughter's a very good judge of character. Any friend of hers is a friend of ours. From what I hear, we have you to thank for bringing our daughter back to us. Thank you."

"You have a wonderful daughter, but she's very stubborn. Believe me, it took more than just me to break her out of her shell. Speaking of Lindsay, where is she?"

Steve said, "You know how women are. She waited 'til the last minute to get ready. She'll be out shortly."

"Danny, tell me about yourself." Leslie was very interested in the man who had obviously stolen her daughter's heart.

Danny hated when people asked him to tell them about himself. Where do you begin? Birth? High school? Are they trying to figure out if he's a suitable boyfriend for their daughter? _That must be it. _"I was born and raised in New York. My parents still live here, and I have one brother and one sister. I think I'm the best of the lot, but my parents might beg to differ." They all laughed at his attempt at humor. _Laughter is a good thing._ "I've been a CSI for six years."

"Do you like your job?"

"Most of the time, but sometimes I wonder why we do what we do. We're not appreciated."

"Take it from me," Leslie began, "I understand what it's like not to be appreciated. I was a school teacher for 30 years."

Just then, Lindsay walked out and joined their conversation. "Don't fall for his request for pity, Mom. He's the one who made my life a living nightmare when I first came here. He made it his mission to humiliate me _even though_ I was doing my job, and I did it very well, might I add." All eyes turned to Danny.

He looked at his watch and said, "Will you look at the time? If we don't get going now we'll miss our reservation." _Good save._

**CSI:NY**

The dinner went smoothly,

"So, Leslie, what was Lindsay like as a child?"

Leslie and Steve laughed while Lindsay tried to intimidate him with a facial expression. It didn't work.

"Lindsay had such a sassy mouth; she stayed on punishment. I'd say black, and she'd say white. I'd say the sky's blue, she'd say the sky's green. She had to have the last word on everything. And that was _before_ her teenage years. Who knew that we'd consider those 'the good old days?' We tried to keep her in at night, but Lindsay would always find somewhere to go and some no good kids to hang around."

Danny's eyes were wide open. To think that his Lindsay gave her parents as much trouble as he gave his was unfathomable. "Not Ms. Straight-and-Narrow…"

Steve had to jump in. "Ha! Straight and narrow? What's that? If there was trouble 20 miles away, Lindsay would find it. Leslie was so embarrassed because there was only one school that went from kindergarten to Twelfth Grade, so whenever Lindsay caused problems she had to hear about it in the teachers' lounge. And let's not talk about the report writing business she had going on. She actually started a franchise within the school, so she got a cut of every report the franchisees sold. She made enough to go on the school trip that year. Too bad she was punished and wasn't allowed to go."

Even Lindsay had to laugh at this recollection.

"So, Montana, you were a rogue geek?"

She was laughing too hard to be mad at him for laughing at her. Having her parents with her under these circumstances was a blessing, because she was always afraid that the next time she would see them would be in a tragic situation. Besides, she could get Danny back the next time they visited his parents, as the Messers had no qualms about embarrassing him.

**CSI:NY**

A/N: I have no idea how long Danny's been a CSI. It doesn't really matter for the purpose of this story.

Next chapter: The Monroes meet the team


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Danny led Lindsay and her parents into the bar and found the rest of the team seated at a table. They all greeted each other and Lindsay commenced with the introductions.

"Everyone, these are my parents, Steve and Leslie Monroe. Mom, Dad, these are my coworkers." She gestured as she introduced each person, "Mac Taylor, The Boss; Stella Bonasera, some would say she's Mac's boss," Mac gave her a curious look, "Sid Hammerback, one of our medical examiners; Sheldon Hawkes, he used to be a medical examiner, but now he's a fellow CSI; Detective Don Flack – you can just call these two Frick and Frack."

At this, Flack and Hawkes had a look of hurt on their faces.

"Hey! I resent that."

Flack warned, "Just remember, Monroe, we have a few interesting stories I'm sure your parents would like to hear."

Lindsay quickly moved on, "And last, but not least, Adam Ross, lab tech."

Steve pulled a chair out for his wife and took his seat next to her, which placed him beside Mac.

Flack lifted an eyebrow at Danny, silently asking him if he was getting along with Lindsay's parents, to which Danny nodded, indicating that everything was going smoothly.

The evening went on with the large group of people enjoying each others' company and getting to know one another better. The drinks flowed, and every so often a couple of people would get up to dance. Then, Lindsay's "Frick and Frack" comment came back to bite her in the butt. (Hawkes didn't forget much, and he didn't forgive easily.)

"So, Danny, you finally get to meet Lindsay's parents. Since you two spend your Sundays at your parents' house, are you going to bring them over to meet your folks while they're in town?"

Lindsay's eyes widened, then they narrowed as a warning to Hawkes. _Why did I have to open my mouth? I forgot they have dirt on me._

Leslie and Steve's eyes jerked over to Lindsay and Danny who were shooting daggers at Hawkes with their eyes.

Leslie asked, "You've met his parents?"

Hawkes smiled and leaned back in his chair, very proud of himself for orchestrating the turn of events.

"Yes, Mom. Danny's invited Flack, Hawkes, and me over with him to eat with his family. I've been a few times."

Flack saw his opportunity. "You've only been over there with us once." He turned to Danny. "You mean that you've invited Lindsay over for Sunday dinner and you didn't invite us? I thought we were your friends."

Leslie leaned over to whisper to Lindsay, "Just how long have you been dating Danny? I mean if you're going to his parents' for dinner…"

"Mom, let's talk about this later, please," Lindsay whispered. They're just trying to get something started." _Hawkes and Flack are dead men._

**CSI:NY**

Mac asked, "So, what was Lindsay like growing up?"

Lindsay rolled her eyes and dropped her chin to her chest. She knew that it was all over. Having Danny hear the stories about her rebellious youth was one thing, but having her boss and coworkers hear them was quite another.

Steve started, "Does the term 'hellion' mean anything to you?"

Mac's eyes widened at this revelation.

Steve continued, "We were just telling Danny about her entrepreneurial days when she was selling reports to other students. That was only the tip of the iceberg."

If Lindsay had counted her coworkers among her friends before, she couldn't now, because they all wanted more dirt. _This must be his favorite subject._

Sid asked, "And what, pray tell, is at the base of this iceberg?" He giggled with anticipation.

"Oh, well, let's just say that it shocked us all when we found out about the gang she started. They were like vigilantes. We didn't know about it until she was escorted home from her prom by the police for, as she put it, 'Taking care of the snobs who made others' lives a living hell.' I don't know how they got the head cheerleader hung from the rafters of the gym!"

Lindsay piped in, "They had it coming!"

Mac winced. He was beginning to think he didn't know his newest CSI at all.

"And let's not forget the Feed the Children orphans she 'adopted' when she saw that commercial on TV. I still can't believe that she used my credit card for that."

Lindsay chimed in, "I felt sorry for them, and it was only thirty cents a day!"

"And the way she corrupted her brother…He _still_ gets the shakes every time he smells smoke. They nearly burned the barn down with that stunt!"

"Alright! Sheesh! Can you tell _any _stories about me that that can't be used as blackmail?"

Her dad grinned. "Oh, we're plenty proud of you, pumpkin. You were always a quick learner, and whatever you set your mind to do, you did."

Mac relaxed a bit. "Now that's the 'pumpkin' _I_ know."

The whole table laughed.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I own nothing, I have nothing.

**This is the final chapter, and it's very short. It was time to wrap this one up because I didn't have much enthusiasm for it anymore. If I decide to continue this at a later time, it will be in a sequel, but I have other stories that I'd like to write, so don't hold your breath :) As always, I'd love to get suggestions for a sequel or for future stories.**

**Thanks to all of my reviewers! I really needed the encouragement to continue writing. Without you all, this story would have ended much sooner!**

**Chapter 13**

The seemingly impossible had happened: Lindsay reconnected with her family and friends after resigning herself to living her life alone. It started off slowly – one friend who wouldn't give up on her, and then another, until she realized that she was in control the whole time. _She_ had made the decision to live in a virtual prison, and _she_ had made the decision to reach out to those who reached out to her. Knowing that her happiness had been in her own hands all along left her feeling guilty for wasting so much time, but she could now really appreciate how precious her friends and family were to her. Her life was like a house built upon a firm foundation. She had tried to live her life without that foundation, and that's when she began to crumble. Now that she allowed herself to have a support system, she was strong and ready to conquer anything that came her way.

**THE END**

7/5/07


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